Non-financial report 2020
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3.10. Research & development
The CIECH Group is consistently implementing innovations in key areas of its operations.
There activities focus on the development and improvement of products intended
for our key markets, the improvement of existing manufacturing processes, and the
implementation of innovative technologies. The CIECH Group pursues its ambition to
become a leader of modern chemical groups in Poland and globally. Within the CIECH
Group, research and development activities were concentrated at CIECH R&D Sp. z o.o.,
which coordinated and conducted R&D activities for the Group’s production companies. As
a result of the implementation of the CIECH Group’s Strategy for 2019-2021, the research
and development activities of Ciech R&D in the area of production and products of the
Group’s companies were transferred to production companies in 2020.
At the end of the year, we commenced work to launch a platform to support start-ups and
innovative projects at an early stage of their development.
The CIECH Group collaborates with universities and experts in the area of innovation and
development policy, and some of the implemented projects are co-financed from European
Union as well as national and regional aid funds.
Research and development achievements
As part of its R&D activities, the Group implements a number of projects practically in
all segments. Different types of support programmes are applied in the implementation
of these projects. In the Group’s key soda segment, several projects are underway, with
different stages of advancement. These projects are aimed at improving the efficiency of
the processes and reducing the environmental impact. The following achievements should
be mentioned:
• We have permanently implemented, as an element of the production line
in the plant in Inowrocław, an innovative method of carbon dioxide capture,
concentration and purification in the sodium carbonate production process.
Analyses are currently underway as to its application in other plants. The
installation built in cooperation with the Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal
enables us to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at 5 thousand tonnes per
annum as a minimum, as well as to reduce production waste and the amount of
raw materials consumed, i.e. coke and limestone.
• we launched the production of the first batch of a new plant protection product,
based on the innovative BGT technology (“Better Glyphosate Technology”). It
allows us to maintain the current effectiveness of glyphosate-based products
while reducing, by half, the dose of active substance per hectare compared to
existing standards.
• with the annual R&D expenditure in the Agro segment of approximately PLN 30
million, our portfolio of active substances is continuously expanding (increase by
over 40 substances during the year) and so is product registration (increase by
over 200 registrations during the year)
Our ongoing R&D projects include in particular:
• The Carbonisation+ project, the purpose of which is to increase the efficiency of soda production by approx. 1% by modifying
the ammonia absorption process (completion scheduled for 2021),
• Project to improve energy efficiency of the calcium chloride production process (by approx. 7.5%) and waste salt management
(completion scheduled for 2021)
• Recycling and reusing in the process of the dust generated in the production of calcium chloride (efficiency improvement by
approx. 3%) (completion scheduled for 2021)
• Recycling and reusing of the salt dust generated in the salt production process (completion scheduled for the end of 2021),
• Research into the possibility of using post-soda lime to enhance workings in opencast mines (completion scheduled for 2022),
• Recovery of brine from de-sludge (completion scheduled for 2022).
Collaboration with universities and institutes
In 2020, the CIECH Group collaborated, among others, with the following renowned universities and institutes in research and
development:
Universities Institutes
• Warsaw University of Technology
• Wrocław University of Science and Technology
• Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń
• RWTH Aachen University
• AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow
• Fertiliser Research Institute
• Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal - ICHPW Zabrze
• Institute of Organic Industry - IPO Warsaw
• Institute of Ceramic Building Materials
What did the implementation of the
innovative CO2 capture, concentration
and purification method look like?
During the first stage, specialists from
the CIECH R&D team in Inowrocław, in
collaboration with the employees of the
Institute for Chemical Processing of Coal,
Zabrze, analysed the sources of carbon
dioxide emissions from individual soda
industry installations and developed a number
of preliminary concepts for reducing CO2
emissions to the atmosphere.
Detailed technological and economic analysis
of the developed concepts enabled them to
develop a unique technology for capturing
and shifting carbon dioxide back to the sodium
carbonate production process. Subsequently,
a series of studies on this innovative solution
were performed - initially in laboratory
conditions and then on a pilot scale.
Based on the obtained results, a pilot
installation for carbon dioxide capture from
waste gases from the soda industry was
designed. This installation was completed
in 2019 at the Soda Plant, Inowrocław.
Initial commissioning was carried out by a
joint IChPW team of engineers under the
leadership of professor Krzysztof Jastrząb and
CIECH specialists. A series of process studies
were performed in order to determine the
optimal parameters for the capture and return
of carbon dioxide to the sodium carbonate
production process.
The next step was to incorporate this
technology in the sodium carbonate
production line, producing a positive effect in
the form of reduced carbon dioxide emissions
to the atmosphere, with a simultaneous
increase in the production capacity of the
installation.